Greenberg Traurig battles gender bias suit

A former associate at Greenberg Traurig's Philadelphia office is suing the international law firm for gender discrimination after a federal watchdog ruled the firm paid female lawyers less than their male counterparts.

Not so much of it at Greenberg Traurig's Philadelphia office SeanPavonePhoto/Shutterstock.com

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Francine Friedman Griesing is seeking $200 million in damages, reports the American Lawyer magazine, in the wake of a finding from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Ms Griesing has filed a class action suit and while she is currently the only party, her lawyer, David Sanford of the New York office of law firm Sanford Heisler, anticipates more women will join the action from Greenberg offices around the country.

Affront to women

The commission found last July that Ms Griesing had been paid $50,000 less than her male counterparts and that women were remunerated less than men overall, according to the complaint.
Hilarie Bass, a member of Greenberg Traurig’s executive committee, said in a statement that Ms Griesing is misrepresenting the commission’s investigation, which included a group of women in one office of the firm. ‘The lawsuit filed today by Francine Griesing and her attorneys is an affront to the accomplished, talented women of Greenberg Traurig, who, like all of our lawyers, are compensated based on merit,’ said Ms Bass.